HUBER HEIGHTS, OHIO -- Sat. 8-24-13, around 3:20 pm, I went out to my 2012 Kia Soul parked on the street, in part-shade, in a residential area of Centerville, OH. The windows were cracked, and the temp outside was in the mid-80s. I opened my front door & put in my beach bag. I then opened the back door, and closed the front door, when I heard a 'boom'. The back glass on the hatch back exploded from the middle & laced everywhere else, leaving a hole in the middle about 2 feet wide. Everyone at the scene stated that they had never seen a window break in that way, from heat or whatever, and it was their feeling that it had to be a 'defect' in the glass.

I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I called 411 & asked for the Kia Dealership in Centerville. They gave me the number to the Dealership in Huber Heights. I spoke to the GM, who answered the phone & explained the situation. Kia has a 60,000 mile, bumper to bumper warranty, that is boasted about as one of the best in the industry. I figured with it being a fluke, and not like brakes or tires that had normal wear & tear, that it would of course be covered.

The GM proceeded to tell me that it wasn't, and that they couldn't help me but that I could bring it in on Monday, as the service center was closed at this time. I asked if he could give me the number to the Centerville dealership, as they gave me the wrong number. He stated that he didn't have their number & that it wasn't convenient for him to get it either.

I stated that it was less convenient for me, as I was on the side of the road. He still refused to help me in any way get the number to the other dealership where I purchased my car. If they are that unhelpful in time of a crises, then I would never step foot in their dealership to purchase a car from them on a good day!! Shame on them!! The back window will cost anywhere from $265 - $440 to replace. WOW!!

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Astonishing How Kia Motors and Parent Company Hyundai Has Achieved Growth the Last 5 or 6 Years!

By Just - 08/19/2014

Rating: 5/51

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA -- My entire family has just finished converting all of our Ford, GM, Chrysler vehicles over to KIA and Hyundai cars and SUVs. Most of this was attributed to the poor customer service and warranty service we all experienced, and add that to the shoddy quality of the vehicles we had. Collectively we now have no issues with the Hyundai/KIA vehicles we have now... But the dealer experience was a breath of fresh air... No scamming, no lying or hidden agendas. Every buying experience was great.

The vehicles themselves are well-assembled, quality is obvious a real value with these cars, and the amenities and standard level of unexpected equipment is quite unusual in these price ranges. The paint is perfect... deep and rich and applied perfectly. Issues are non-existent as far as things we had to take the cars back to the dealer for corrections.

Over all, quite a good value, and 4 of these Hyundai and Kias are made in the USA! We are satisfied and pleased, and will continue to purchase these fine cars and SUVs into the future. The dealer we purchased at, is not high pressure. They are honest and above board, have a huge selection, will let you drive anything on the lot without showing an attitude, and really appear to know their cars very well. We live in Orange County, California.

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Faulty Air Bags

By joeglenshel - 05/17/2010

Our son was in an accident this afternoon. The entire front-end was demolished. The airbags did not deploy. The engine was twisted sideways and the car is a total loss and the AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY! We bought this car for the safety features and price. We now understand that to get the price we were shorted on quality and safety. My sister-in-law's friend also has a KIA and the AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY! I am very concerned and thank God no one was seriously injured. However, this safety problem needs corrected before someone dies.

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Bait and Switch Operation - Update!

By Paddy - 08/24/2010

The manager actually contacted me to say that he could make the deal work with a 2010 model car. When I told him I wasn't interested because it wasn't the vehicle I was shown and quoted, he actually had the gall to ask me if I had considered a KIA Soul. Unbelievable! What deceptive and slimy sales practices!

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Restitution for a Dangerous Gas Leak Refused

By jim247 - 03/10/2010

EAST BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY -- On October 12, 09 I had my 2002 Kia Sportage towed to a local Kia dealer because I had a dangerous leak coming from a fuel line. The diagnosis from the Kia Mechanic - the PCV hose was leaking and should be replaced with the valve. I was informed that everything was okay after I picked up my vehicle and this was
also noted on the invoice. Notation on the invoice states that I may need a fuel injector rail in the future (keyword: future).

Four days later, on October 16, 09, I'm still smelling gas fumes inside the car. I open the hood while the engine is still running and my car is still leaking gas from the same PCV hose. I'm 50 miles away from the Kia dealer that did the work, so I had no choice but to have the car towed to another local Kia dealer which cost me $175.00 for towing.

Now this dealer informs me that the return fuel line is leaking at the clamps plus additional components
that the first dealer did not inform me about which included the following: failure with fuel regulator, leak at valve cover, emission 3 stage cleaning system (this was extra work to inflate the invoice, work that wasn't needed). First dealer never mentioned this extra work.

I was seeking a Realistic Restitution for $199.00 extra labor from the first dealer. This is all extra labor that the second dealer had to dismantle the components to make the repair that the first dealer didn't do right the first time. This first negligent dealer has the nerve to say that I refused service for the repair. Let me repeat myself and maybe the ** in KIA will hear me. Notations on invoice from first DEALER:

Customer states fuel line hose is leaking and advise. Dealer called to inform me what the problem was and how much it would cost to repair. Gave the okay to forward with replacing the hose and valve. There was no other communication about any other problems. I couldn't deny any other additional work, because no additional work was discussed with me. There was a notation on the invoice when I picked up the car that the fuel injector rail
may need to be replaced in the future. AGAIN, NO WORK WAS EVER DENIED.

As a loyal consumer, I put my trust in the Kia dealers to be honest and correct vehicle maintenance problems to my satisfaction which they didn't do in this case. Have communicated with Kia Corp to resolve this for a fair realistic restitution of $199.00 which they have denied.

These KIA Vehicles are cheaply built and have many problems that require expensive repairs. These dealers will go out of their way to refuse warranty service on your car. The dealer will blame you, the owner, for the problem and will not do the warranty service. A simple repair to replace a leaking fuel line hose turned into a nightmare for me and will never buy another Kia. All you ** at Kia Corp, Wake up. I AM A VERY UNHAPPY KIA
SPORTAGE OWNER and will not buy your brand again.

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Kia Is Nothing More Than a SCAM!!!

By Robert - 08/13/2009

In 2005, I had traded my SUV in for a 2005 Kia Optima. The car seemed nice and thought a new car would be a nice change, and the savings per month compared to the SUV. The first red flag that did not quite register at the time - I signed the contract with no finance company name on the contract. Just a PO box address in California and no account number. Then a week later, I was required to sign three separate contracts. Again no finance company information filled in and now no address. I was told they would fill that in later and this was normal. They were just waiting for information to fill it in.

Then I get a call from my old finance company to tell me that they have not paid off my trade-in. If the payment was not received in five days. They would repo it from the dealer and come after both of us for payment. The vehicle was paid off in a month and a half after trade-in. The next red flag was that I never received a letter or call from the finance company to go over the details of my new auto loan for the Kia and no payment coupon book ever arrived. Yet, the payment amount on the various blank contracts were all different.

Then there was the issue of never receiving a tag or registration for the vehicle. After five months of having the vehicle, the vehicle was repossessed. I called around and finally got a hold of someone claiming to have the loan. The response was that I had to reapply to get the car back. The biggest red flag of all.

What this means is that they gave me a car with no financing, took my trade in and got rid of of it quick (2 days sold to a buy here pay here for $500), and never filed the paperwork to have a tag or registration sent to me. If this is not bad enough, you will love this. If at any time I was stopped by law enforcement and they checked the paperwork, the first two charges would be no valid registration and no valid tag.

Here is the big felony coming up. I would have been charged with Unlawful Possession of a Motor Vehicle. Plain English, I would have charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. When I did nothing wrong. I never once received a phone call or letter stating there was a problem and should bring the car back. They got rid of my SUV quick so no one went to jail.

I have tried to work this out with the company, and, guess what, no response. I am going to the GA Attorney General's Office to see if they can do something and searching for a good attorney. One more bit of advice for all previous Kia owners, current owners, and future owners. Hyundai owns Kia and per legal agreement, Kia Motor Finance Company is a business name of Hyundai. Kia Motor Finance Company is a name that cannot be used in all US states to legally conduct business. The actual finance company that conducts the business is Hyundai Capital Finance. Deceptive finance tactics used that possibly fall under federal predatory lending practices act.

I also just found out that Kia Motor Finance Company is now Kia Motor Finance. The same legal agreement stands. So please check your local state to see if the legal agreement pertains to your state. One other thing, all Kia dealerships in the state of Georgia have an F rating with the BBB. The majority of complaints are sales/contracts issues. I wonder why!!! It seems that Kia profits from breaking the law.

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Starter Unreliable in 2012 KIA Forte 5 door Hatch Back

By jwgoodspeed294 - 06/13/2015

Rating: 1/51

CALIFORNIA -- On June 5th, 2015 my wife had problems starting her KIA Forte 5 door. It finally started and she took it to the Concord, California KIA Dealership. Kevin was the trouble writer and accepted the car for repair. He worked on it for the day and was unable to replicate the no start problem. The car was released without repair. It only has 25,550 miles on it.

On June 9th, 2015 my wife was stranded in a remote Sierra mountain town. Her car would not start. I drove over 50 miles to rescue my wife and the car was towed to the Folsom Lake KIA Dealership for repair. Jeff wrote up the trouble and accepted the car for repair. Two separate tow companies attempted to start the car. The second tow company took the car to the dealership. The dealer kept the car three days and was unable to replicate the no start experience. We were denied a loaner car and (you guessed it ) the car was released to us without repair.

In both cases, KIA Corporate refused a loaner car and refused to let the dealership repair or replace any part until the non-start could be replicated.

We are left with an UNRELIABLE CAR that may strand us at yet another location to be towed to yet another dealership to experience a non-repair.

We do not fault either dealership. We fault KIA Corporate for a warranty policy which serves their bottom line and leaves their customer in an unsafe car, stranded in a yet to be determined location to be towed in once again.

We will continue to take the risk for KIA Corporate's unresponsive warranty policy. Guess What ? On the 4th attempt, California Lemon Law applies; we will prevail in court. We love the car, but KIA Corporate needs customer service lessons. They will get some of these lessons in California Lemon Law Court. The message to potential KIA customers is don't buy a KIA unless your state has strict Lemon Laws.

Happy with our KIA, but mad as hell at KIA Corporate

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Leasing / Service / Finance

By driver6785921 - 05/02/2015

Rating: 1/51

Let me start by saying I have purchased 5 Kia vehicles. They have all been great cars. I just turned in a lease vehicle but did not buy another as I am in the process of building a house and can't change my finances right now. The dealership told me an independent appraiser would inspect the vehicle and send a letter if there were charges. There were scratches on the vehicle and I will gladly pay to have them repaired.

I was told by two different mechanics/body guys that it would cost around $300. The appraiser quoted $1,640! The scratches were $900! They want to charge me for indentations from a car seat which I never had in the back seat. They want to charge me for "dirty" sun visors! The charges are extremely outrageous.

I have ten days to have a private appraiser licensed by the New York DMV to inspect and submit a new appraisal. Problem is, I now live in Georgia. Second problem. When I moved to Georgia they raised my payment by $17! When we asked why, we could not get an answer. 20 months at $17, $340! Third, my wife had a flat tire on her Soul. No spare. She called Kia roadside assistance and waited five and a half hours for a tow truck! We had to wait another three hours at the dealership because they didn't have the right tire even though my wife called them 5 1/2 hours earlier! Great service!

I looked at a new SXL Optima at the Savannah dealership where all this great service has been happening and the sticker said $38,000. The salesmen said that was a great, already discounted price. I went to their website and the same exact car was listed at $32,000. Do NOT deal with the Savannah Kia dealership. My opinion. It's a shame because I do like Kia vehicles.

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Miserable Customer Service/Business Practices

By tsmoore1848 - 10/29/2014

Rating: 1/51

CALIFORNIA -- I would give them zero stars if that were an option. They mistyped my address and my husband's name on some paperwork. When I called to get this fixed, I was able to get the address corrected but they refused to spell my husband's last name correctly unless they talked to him personally, even though they have the leasing paperwork right in front of them and can see that his last name and mine are the same. They absolutely refuse to fix their mistake.

The documents they sent me are something they filled out with an incorrect address and incorrect last name and expect me to get it notarized and send back to them. Otherwise, I will have to pay taxes on a leased vehicle. I honestly think they did this on purpose hoping that I would not notice, or that the time would be up and I would have to pay the $1500 for the taxes on the car. I can't believe anyone can be that ignorant when typing in names and addresses.

The customer service person and supervisor that I talked to just kept saying the same thing about how my husband would have to call and get his name corrected even though they knew it was incorrect and it was their fault. This is ridiculous and there is no reason they could not fix a simple misspelling and send me the correct paperwork.

Of course this is the just one of a number of problems I have had with the financing department and Kia motors. I absolutely will never get another Kia. And I advise anyone thinking of dealing with Kia to seriously investigate other options. I like the car I have but despise the customer service and how they do business. As soon as I can get rid of this leased vehicle, I will never do business with this company again.

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Customer Service Is Only for the Credit Worthy

- 09/03/2014

Rating: 1/51

SHEFFIELD, ALABAMA -- After having my credit reviewed and my mother's credit reviewed, the salesman wanted us to drive a 2015 Kia Soul. I had called the Sheffield, Alabama dealership prior to my going to Kia to inquire about an advertisement I heard over the radio for Labor Day. The advertisement reported that with an $88 down payment, employment, and a certain income per month, one could be approved to drive a new vehicle off the lot. If the dealership was unable to live up to its word, the customer would be paid $1000.

I shared with the Manager, **, during our phone conversation that I had a very negative experience with the Sheffield dealership in the past. He assured me that there would not be a problem, and told me to come on down to the dealership and ask for him. Prior to my driving the Kia Soul, I reminded salesman that I did not want to even drive a car if the down payment was going to be higher than the $88. He assured me that mine and my mother's credit had been checked. He proceeded to tell me that after speaking with the manager, **, that there would be no problem with financing.

After numerous phones calls the next day, with no response, I continued to seek the status of my application. During one attempt, I was transferred to the finance department to be told that my application had not even been reviewed, and assured that ** would return my phone call. This afternoon, I called the dealership to learn that ** is off today! I was transferred to the finance department to be told that they would have to call me back.

Believe it or not, the finance manager called me back to tell me that I needed $2500 to $3000 down. I even inquired about their advertised program "$5000 above blue book value on any trade" to be told that a car payment would probably be over $800. I asked to speak with the owner of the dealership or be provided a number for the corporation. The finance manager informed me that the owner was very busy and he would hate to take a message from me and the owner not be able to return my call.

I requested a return call from the owner and the Manager, **. I will be documenting the days, and seeking the guidance of an attorney. Sometimes in life, one has to stand up for what is right. I don't want this dealership to harm other individuals. Shame on their practices!!